350 Eighth Memoir on the [No. 137- 



Noon had the wind N. N. E. gradually hauling round to E. by S. At 

 5. p. m. varying to the South in the squalls to S. E. At 6^ Ba- 

 rometer marked at 29.40. This ship did not anchor, and returned 

 safely to Madras. 



Ship Lady Clifford, Capt. Miller. 



The Lady Clifford was at anchor off Nagore in latitude, 10° 48' N. 

 and Capt. Miller, says in a letter to Capt. Biden : — 



" By the accompanying extract from the log book of my vessel you 

 will perceive, that the late gale, as far as it came under my observa- 

 tion, had all the characteristics of a circular storm, and that I skirted 

 the South and S. E. range of it, at least I acted upon that supposition, 

 and the result serves to confirm the opinion. It is probable, that I 

 escaped much of its violence by not approaching too near to the cen- 

 tre of the storm, which I imagine must have been to the Northward 

 of my position, and had I been bound to the Southward, I might pos- 

 sibly have avoided it altogether by steering to the S. W. instead of the 

 N. E. 



" If these great storms are regulated by a fixed law, the knowledge of 

 it might be of infinite advantage to seamen, by enabling us to make 

 the best of them, instead of being perplexed by the sudden changes and 

 other phenomena, so much against the good management of a ship 

 during their violence." 



I have inserted the log of this vessel without abridgement, as 

 shewing how judiciously Captain Miller profited by his knowledge of 

 the Law of Storms. 



Extract of the Log Book of the Lady Clifford. 



23d? October. — At anchor at Nagore. During this day it blew a fresh 

 gale at North, the sky clear, and weather fine. Barometer 30.05. 

 Towards evening a thick cloud or bank gathered in the N. E., and a 

 long swell set in from that quarter. At 10 p. m. the whole sky was 

 overcast, and the Barometer began to fall. At midnight the wind 

 decreased, and drew round to the N. W. the swell from the N. E. 

 still increasing, sky overcast, but not looking bad. Barometer 29.90. 



